Before the Beginning
by Jeice Lover
Summary: Before the manor. Before the experiments. Before all of the crazy and dangerous things that occur in life, there was a simple time. A simple time that is before the time of all that we know of the life of the Phantomhive gardener. It is a time that involves a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy; his twin sister; and a strange, silver haired shinigami.
1. Chapter 1

It was a cold, dreary eve in the city Even though it was the middle of The Season, a sudden, cold shower had shocked the city-dwellers and visitors from the countryside. On the paved streets, horses clopped and splashed through the rain, soaking both animals and drivers while the carriage's inhabitants stayed toasty and dry inside. Few were walking at this time, as most had chosen to stay inside where it was dry and simply left errands for the next day.

However, this was on the pleasant side of London. On the other side, though things were similar in some ways, they were different in most others. The pavement here, even though it was being washed by the rain, still had the appearance of being grimy and rough. There was trash, in the sense of both people and litter, scattered all over. Some waited under the eaves of buildings, either showing leg and waiting for customers or acting as potential customers themselves, searching for the right one to provide 'service'. Others waited outside doors and knocked secret codes into the wood with their fists to be let into the dens filled with brain-numbing smoke.

In the darkest alley on the street, where not even the prostitutes or the stray dogs payed any mind to what it contained, two small bodies huddled together in the shadows.

They were obviously children, perhaps only about three years old each. They were both soaked to the bone; filthy, matted hair that might have been blonde at one point was now sooty and dripping large drops of water onto their foreheads. Their clothes, ragged and filthy as their hair, were held together by mere threads and hung loosely on their bony frames. Their eyes, once bright blue, were tired and dull. The childrens' heads leaned against each other.

"_Brother, I'm cold,_" the girl mumbled. Her brother nodded weakly, shifting both of their heads as he did so.

"_Me too,_" he responded simply. The language that slipped off of their tongues wasn't English. Even if anyone had bothered to pass by the dark alley, they wouldn't have been able to understand them, anyways. "_Are you hungry?_" he finally managed to ask. He could feel the girl, his twin, nod. Memories of eating well were far off, replaced by the current gnawings of empty stomachs.

"_At least... at least we still have each other,_" the girl whispered quietly. The boy responded with a quiet 'mhm' and nothing more. Somehow, their malnourished hands found each other and held on as tightly as they could. Then they closed their eyes and tried to sleep, knowing very well that it may have been the last time they closed their eyes.

"Weell weeell, looky what we have were. Two little street rats huddled together in the rain." The two opened their eyes again when they heard someone speaking, as they hadn't fallen asleep quite yet. A very tall man was standing over them, looking down at them from under an umbrella that looked as if it had been blown up and pushed back down time and time again. Silvery hair fell down his face in long bangs, hiding his eyes in shadow, while the rest of it fell in messy locks down past his waist. A hand covered his mouth slightly, half-concealing a toothy grin. Long, black fingernails lingered over a scar that crossed his face and disappeared behind the shadows of his bangs. A long, black robe hid most of him, but not how tall and lanky he was, as it hung loosely on him.

"You know, you're really not like rats," the man went on in a childish sort of voice. "No, more like mice." His grin grew wider. "Yes, that's it. Teensie little street meecies in the rain." The children stared at him blankly. The man seemed to notice and tilted his head. "Oh, little meecies from across the water, can't understand a word I say, am I right?" He only received more blank stares. The children couldn't understand this strange man who spoke in a language that was foreign to their ears. "Well then, _can you understand me now?_" The children were surprised by the sudden switch to their native tongue. They stared at the man more, now straining to listen, even despite the hunger dulling their senses. "_I thought so. Little French meecies you are. Looking fit to die soon, too, in your condition._"

He leaned forward, seeming to examine them. He let out something between a low giggle and a high chuckle. "Ooh, now I look at you, you're little twinsie meecies. How amusingly sweet." The strange man had reverted back to the tongue that was strange to the children, or twins, as the man had pointed out. The silver-haired man made a 'hmm' noise as he spun his umbrella between his fingers. He seemed to be thinking hard about something. He had also begun talking to himself in his strange tongue, so it was all the twins could do to watch his unfamiliarly moving lips.

"Hm, well, let's see now. I don't really have to do anything for the two of you. It wouldn't be no trouble to my sleep if I left you both here to die. Nope, not at all. I see dead street meecies all the time in my little business, what's a couple more to a man like meself?" He watchen them a bit more, then broke into a strange, half-crazed grin. "My my, look at me. Here I am, asking myself why," his grin grew wider. "Well, now I respond to me, why not?"

The twins had been sitting silently, watching his lips move, though they couldn't comprehend a single thing he said. The only sounds they made were some muffled squeaks of shock as they felt themselves being picked up off the ground. The feel of something soft and smooth, most likely fabric, pressed into their faces. It took them a moment to figure out that they were being pressed against the side of the strange man's robe. He held them up with one arm, using his other to hold his beat-up umbrella.

"_Well then, off we go, little meecies._" With that, he left the alley and started down the street, still carrying the little twins in his arm. If they had any energy, they might have squirmed in his hold or, if not, at least asked where he was taking them. However, the both of them were so tired and hungry they could hardly even think. Not to mention it was surprisingly warm being pressed against him.

There, on that rainy night, being carried away from a grimy alley by a black-clad, silver-haired man they didn't know, the twins fell into a light slumber.

–

They awoke some time later, in a place that was unfamiliar to them. Here it was warm and dry, if not a little dark. The two looked down and found that even their pitiful excuses for clothes were dry, meaning that they had been there a while, wherever they were.

"_Ooh, the little meecies are awake._" The twins looked up when they saw the strange, silver-haired man enter the room. However, even though they saw him first, they focused immediately on the plate he was carrying. The plate was of an ordinary size and make, but it was stacked with thick slices of fresh, warm bread. The smell and sight alone made the childrens' mouths water and their stomachs growl with emptiness. "_Hungry little meecies, aren't we?_" He placed the plate down on a portion of the flat surface in front of them and motioned at it with an open hand. "_Well, dig in._"

Almost immediately, the children stared at him once more. Expressions of distrust were evident on their faces, distrust bred by being on the street for the period they had. The man chuckled again, seeming amused by something.

"_What? You think I'm trying to poison you? Such silly little meecies._" When the two continued to stare at them, he shrugged. He reached out a hand in their direction, making them shrink away. However, he only took a slice of bread from the plate and pulled his arm away again. He brought the bread up to his mouth and bit a large chunk out of it, then chewed it slowly before swallowing it with a large 'gulp'. He motioned to the plate again, smacking his lips loudly for emphasis.

After seeing this, the children looked at each other, then slowly reached out and took pieces of the bread themselves, still keeping wary eyes on the silver-haired man. On a silent count, they both took a bite at the same time. Their eyes flew open when the food his their tongues. The bread was fluffy and warm, one side generously slathered with butter that was slowly softening from the bread's warmth.

In no time at all, the twins' suspicions were forgotten in light of the food. They took the bread from the plate as quickly as their little hands could grab the thick slices. The strange man who was feeding them still sat across from them, quiet and hardly moving, seeming to observe them as they ate so voraciously. He had a porcelain cookie jar in his lap, from which he was removing and eating what looked suspiciously like dog biscuits. Finally, when the plate was only half-empty, the man took the plate from the children, wagging a finger at them when they reached out their hands again.

"_Ah ah ah, later. Little meecies who eat too much will only get sick._" He stood with the plate and left the room through the door he had entered. This gave the twins a chance to look around the room. It wasn't a large room, but it wasn't small either. There were numerous long, rectangular boxes with crosses engraved in the wood scattered about in random places. They were sitting on one such box at the moment, the boy was tracing the cross engraved in the surface next to him. In one corner of the room, a desk sat with completely filled bookshelves behind it. In another corner, a long, lumpy form was covered with a red-stained white cloth. There were other strange objects in the room, from mirrors and plants to things they couldn't even describe. They didn't have time to think about that, through, as the man returned at that moment. He walked back over to them and sat two cups down in front of them.

"_Drunk up now, it's nice and warm_," he said as he sat back with his own cup. Since they had stopped being suspicious about him poisoning them, they drank it. It turned out to be warm milk, which they enjoyed immensely. The cups they drank from were squat and fat and had black lines and squiggly things going up the sides. A small triangular shape poked out from the rim of each cup.

"_Well, I suppose now's a good a time as ever for introductions,_" the man said. "_People call me many things, but you may call me Undertaker._" Undertaker placed down his strange cup and folded his hands so he could rest his head atop them. "_So, what names shall I call you two by?_" The twins looked at each other briefly, then turned and shrugged at the Undertaker.

"_We don't know our names,_" the boy said simply. His sister nodded in agreement.

"_We had names at one point, I think, but we've forgotten them._" The Undertaker stroked his bangs thoughtfully.

"_Well, that's a bit of a problem then, isn't it? Can't go on calling you meecies forever, no matter how fun it is. Got to have proper names, you do._" He grinned and did the peculiar little giggle of his again as he snapped his fingers. "_Well then, we'll just have to make you new names, won't we?_" He tilted his head as he tapped his chin with one of his long nails. Finally, he tilted his head right-side-up and grinned. "_I've got it now,_" he said as he waved a finger in the air. "_Very well, you,_" he pointed at the girl, "_will be Fionna and you,_" he pointed at her brother, "_will be Finnian. How's that sound?_" The twins looked at each other, then back at the Undertaker and shrugged.

"_It sounds okay, I guess,_" the boy said. "_But can we really make new names for ourselves, Mr. Undertaker?_" The Undertaker waved his hand dismissively as he continued to grin.

"_Of course you can. You got no names for yourselves, so I don't see why you can't make up new ones._" Suddenly, the girl, whom the Undertaker had dubbed Fionna, yawned softly, not bothering to cover her mouth. As the contagiousness of a yawn catches quickly, the newly named Finnian yawned just after she did. Their eyes dropped slightly; the twins felt warm, full, and sleepy. The Undertaker clicked his tongue and wagged a finger at the twins. "_We can save the rest of our talking for the morning._" With this, he got up from his seat and went to the twins. They were so tired they hardly did anything when he picked them up and carried them into another room. The next thing either of them knew, they were lying side-by-side on a cushioned, velvety surface. The Undertaker looked down at them, grinning still.

"_Sleep tight now, little ones,_" he whispered. Not a moment after, the two were already sound asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

When the two awoke, all was dark. The air around them was warm and still, like a house that has been closed up for a long time.

"_Are you there, sister?_"

"_Yes, I am. Where are we?_" The boy didn't know, and neither did his sister. Experimentally, the brother raised his hands up and found that they made contact with something solid, not a few inches above where they were laid. Pushing hands to either side, they found cushiony walls stopped them from moving much further in either direction. A natural fear of being trapped began to form in the childrens' hearts.

"_What do we do?_" The girl asked her brother. He had no answer, so he instead raised up his hands again and pushed once more on the thing above them. To his surprise, it jiggled slightly at the force of his hands. Testing this, he pushed again, only to be rewarded with the sound of loose movement.

"_I think we can move this,_" he whispered urgently. "_Come on, let's try together!_" They both placed their hands on the thing above them and, with a great heave, pushed with all their might. Though it took a bit of strain, they managed to push until it seemed to be standing up on its' edge. Then it fell off to the side with a loud 'whumph'. After the absolute blackness of a few moments previous, the children had to cover their eyes and slowly adjust to the light before they could look around. Once they were able to do so, they saw why it was so dark and enclosed where they had been sleeping. As it turned out, they had been sleeping in one of those strange, rectancle-like boxes they had seen the day before. It looked as if it might have fit one person about three times their age, which meant that it had fit the two of them perfectly as they snuggled together in sleep.

As they sat there remembering about the other strange boxes they had seen, they also remembered the strange man who had brought them to this place, wherever they were. After a moment of sitting there, a door to their left that they hadn't noticed before opened. The man, Undertaker, they now remembered, stood in the doorway with a toothy grin on his face.

"_Ah, Finnian, Fionna, glad to see you two are awake,_" the Undertaker greeted with a grin. It took the twins a moment to realize that it was them he was speaking to. They remembered vaguely how he had given them those new names the night before when he had picked them up off the streets. They were curious about why he had done this, but before they could even begin to ask, their stomachs rumbled emptily. Though, not with the half-starved edge that had been present the night before. The silver-haired undertaker made another crazed-looking grin and giggled once more. "_Still such hungry little meecies, aren't we? Wait here, I'll fetch some food._" With a sweep of his black robes, he was gone, leaving the twins alone in the room.

Not knowing what else to do, the twins closed the lid of the box they had been sleeping in and saw on top of it, holding each others' hands for the feeling of security. They didn't need to speak, knowing that the other was there was enough for the both of them. They weren't alone for long, though. In only a matter of moments, the Undertaker was back, holding a plate with bread and cheese in one hand and two more of those strange cups filled with water. They started on the food in earnest as soon as he set it down in front of them. Chunks of bread were swallowed in rapid succession between bites of cheese and sips of water. This time, the Undertaker didn't stop them from, so they ate and ate until there wasn't even a crumb left on the plate. As they licked their fingers clean of any crumbs that stuck to the skin, the Undertaker pushed the plate and cups off to the side and sat back down with his own cup of tea.

"Well, I think now's a good a time as ever to ask some questions," he said brightly to himself. Finnian and Fionna looked at each other, neither understanding what he said in the language that everyone in this place seemed to speak. "_So,_" he went on in the language they could understand, "_where do you both come from? Anyone can tell you're not English. Where're your parents?_"

"_We don't know where we came from, Mr. Undertaker,_" Finnian answered truthfully. "_Someone brought us here with mama and papa on a big carriage that floated on the water._" To emphasize how big the 'floating carriage' was, he spread his arms out to his sides as far as he could reach. The Undertaker waved his hand in a circular motion, telling them to go on.

"_Then mama and papa got really tired,_" Fionna picked up the story where her brother left off. "_So some people took them into this little white house so they could sleep. But then the people took us to another house, one filled with lots of other children._" At this, the Undertaker tilted his head incredulously.

"_Oh? So why didn't you stay there, then?_" Finnian picked up the story again.

"_We heard the lady who took us there say that they had to split us up and give us to different people. We didn't want to be apart, so we ran away so that we didn't have to be._" They squeezed each other's hands as he finished, as if to show their resolve to stay together more firmly. TO their confusion, the Undertaker started chuckling.

"How sweet they are," he seemed to say to himself, "they stay together through thick 'n thin, just as little twinsies do." More chuckles escaped from his mouth before he spoke to them again. "_So, little twins so far from home, nowhere to go. Won't last a week like that, I know that much. I 'work' with them all the time._" Unconsciously, it seemed, he patted his hand on the lid of the rectangle box he was sitting atop.

"_Um... Mr. Undertaker,_" Finnian said slowly. The black-clad man tilted his head in their direction.

"_Yeees?_" he responded, drawing out the word.

"_Could I ask you a question?_" He got no verbal response, but saw the Undertaker tilt his head the other way, as if waiting for the question. Taking his chances, Finnian asked his question. "_Well, it's just... why did you help us?_"

"_Whyyy?_" The Undertaker mimicked in the same drawn-out way as before. "_Why? Why? Why? Hmm... now why did I do it, you wonder. Well, so do I._" This caused some confusion for the twins before he went on. "_See, one thing I love is laughter, and nothing is more amusing than children. So, when I saw the two of you on my way home, well, I simply thought,_" he shrugged, "_why not?_" This wasn't a particularly convincing explanation, but the twins took it anyways. They were only children, after all.

"_Okay then,_" Fionna said with a nod. Her brother nodded right along with her. The Undertaker reached behind him and pulled something that had been hanging on his robe so it was in front of his face. It appeared to be a silver, oval locket of some kind, one of a string of a few that were hanging from the same chain. He seemed to examine it closely as he continued speaking to them.

"_So, what d'you think you'll be doing now? You'll most likely end up in the same way I found you if you decide to go out on your own again._"

"_We don't know,_" Finnian admitted with a shrug. He slipped his hand around his sister's and clutched it tightly.

"_We don't know where else to go,_" Fionna added. Their eyes cast downwards for a moment, shoulders slumped forward. The Undertaker took a moment to think, then snapped his fingers and giggled once more (they could tell already that he must do this quite often).

"_Well, I know just the thing to do, then. You two_," he pointed a long fingernail at them, "how would you like to be my apprentices?" The twins tilted their heads as they looked at him, curious.

"_A prentice? What's that mean?_" They asked.

"_All it means is that you can stick around to help. Like my little assistants, if you will._" When the responded with only blank stares, he simplified it for them. "_Basically, I mean you two be my little helpers, and I'll feed you and let you stay here. How's that sound?_" The twins seemed to think it over for a few minutes, occasionally whispering or making motions that they must have understood between each other. Finally, they looked back to the Undertaker and nodded.

"_Okay, I gues we could try being your prentices for a while_," Finnian said.

"_At least until we can find our mama and papa again_," Fionna added. The Undertaker clapped his hands together once, grinning widely.

"_Excellent. Let's get you started then, shall we?_"


	3. Chapter 3

A woman walked slowly past the church, moving in the direction of the cemetery as one eye rested on her two children. The boys laughed, oblivious of the somber place they were going to. The woman glanced down at the boquet of white flowers she carried and wore a sad smile on her face. Up in the belltower, the church bell tolled solemnly in the cool air of the grey afternoon.

"Hey mommy," her youngest son suddenly said," why're all those people over there dressed in all black?" The mother looked at the group her youngest son was pointing to. The sight of all the women in black veils and men in good suits sent a pang of sad memories into her heart.

"It's for a funeral, sweetie. You remember when we put your grandfather to rest in that big box?" The boy nodded slowly, he remembered. "It's the same thing." Her child understood, if not all of it, then at least some.

"Mother," her oldest boy said, "can we got play for a bit? I want to try to catch a mouse." The mother nodded, detaching one hand from the flowers she held to wave them off.

"Yes, go on. I'll be talking to your grandfather for a while, so just go ahead and play until I come and get you." The elder boy nodded and ran off, the younger following along as best as he could. "Keep an eye on your brother! Don't let him wander off too far!" she called after them.

Soon, the brothers were among the taller gravestones, running through paths made by mausoleums and majestic stone angels with arms spread and heads tilted up to face the heavens above. The older boy stopped suddenly and dropped onto his hands and knees in the grass. His younger brother mimicked him and crouched nearby, digging his fingers between the green blades of grass.

"Okay, listen up," the older brother whispered. His younger sibling locked eyes on him, listening intently. "To catch a mouse, first we have to find a mouse-hole, because that's where they live, see?" The younger nodded eagerly, eyes wide with excitement. "So crawl around a bit and let me know if you find one, but do it quietly so you don't scare them off, got it?" With a vicious nod of the head from the younger brother, they set off on their search for a mouse-hole. After a few minutes of pushing aside grass, he heard his little brother speak.

"Did you find one yet?"

"No, now quiet. You're interrupting my concentration," he said sharply, mimicking something their father often said if they were making too much noise while he was reading. There was silence for only a couple of minutes before the younger spoke again.

"Hey, did you hear something just now?"

"Yeah, you talking. Now quiet, you'll scare the mice away."

"Big brother, did you see that?"

"No! Now don't tell me about anything you see unless it's a mouse or a mouse-hole!" The older was getting annoyed by the younger, and he was letting it show in his voice. Suddenly, the younger brother let out a cry and tackled him, hugging his waist viciously. "For goodness' sakes! What is it now?!"

"I saw something over there! I saw a haunt behind the stones!"

"Where?!" He looked up and around, but saw nothing. "You fool, there's nothing-" just before he could finish, he heard a low scuffling noise. "Hello?! Who's there?!" His brother whimpered, hiding behind him, until he ordered him to hush. The older brother raised up his fists, putting up a front of bravery like a fighter preparing for fisticuffs. "Whoever you are, you'd better come out right now before I wallop you!"

Suddenly, two little heads peeked around the legs of a singing angel. Bright blue eyes with sparkles like little stars stared out at them. This, combigned with their heads of strawberry-blonde hair, was enough to bring the image of sprites and faeries to mind. The older brother turned and knocked the younger over the top of his head.

"You dolt! Try to scare me like that, will you?! It was just a couple of kids!" Ignoring the whimpered denials from his sibling, he turned his attention back to the children peeking from around the gravestone. "What're yo doing back there? Come out so we can see you and talk properly." After a minute had passed, the two slowly rounded the grave and stood in front of the gravestone.

In contrast to their bright features, their clothing was a bit odd. They both wore long, black robes that were as identical as they were. The hems nearly, but didn't quite, touched the ground as they stood there. The childrens' sleeves hung over their hands, though the purple petals of flowers could be seen peeking out from under the black material where their hands would be. The younger brother, who had ceased nursing the place where he had been bonked, was smiling at them.

"Hullo there. Never seen you two around before. What're your names?" When the children, whom the older brother had identified as twins, only stared blankly at him, he said it again, only louder. "I said: What! Are! Your! Names?!" Once more, he was clocked on the noggin by his brother's fist."

"They may not speak English, fool! So if they didn't understand you the first time, it won't help if you just speak louder and slower!" He looked at the two for a moment before voicing a thought aloud. "I wonder what they're doing around here. Since they don't seem to be English, I mean. Maybe they just moved or something."

"I just want to know their names, at least," the younger brother admitted.

"Names?" Both brothers started when one of them spoke. From the voice, the other child was most likely a boy. His speech was heavily laden with an accent that betrayed a French heritage. The blonde boy pointed to his compaion, whom the brothers were sure was his twin sibling, and said simply, "Fionna."

Fionna, as the brothers now heard the girl named, pointed to her brother and said, "Finnian."

"See? They speak English," the younger brother pouted. "You didn't have to hit me." He removed the pout in a moment, though, so he could smile warmly at the twins. "Want to play with us?" He made sure the word 'play' was emphasized loudly and clearly, hoping the message would get across.

"Play?" the one called Finnian asked. He and his sister exchanged glances, then he seemed to struggle to find the right words to use to respond. "Eh... Need...ask... Papa," he finally managed.

"Where's your papa, then?" the older brother asked. Then, realizing they might not have understood him, tried to say it more simply. "Um, I mean... Where is you," he pointed to them, "papa?" The twins shrugged, but then Fionna cupped her hands around her mouth and called out.

"Papa? Papa?"

"Yeees?" The brothers whirled around in fright and yelped when they saw the tall man clad in black looming over them.

"Papa!" the twins cried out joyfully in unison. Suddenly, the older brother grabbed the younger by the wrist and they bolted, crying for their mother all the way.

"Hm? What's got them all spooked?" the Undertaker asked himself. He looked down to the twins, and was confused when he saw them looking sadly in the direction the boys had bolted in. "_What's the matter, you two?_"

"_We thought those boys said they wanted to play with us, but they ran away just now_," Fionna said with disappointment. The Undertaker shrugged loosely, lifting up his shovel as he did so.

"_Ah well, these things can happen._" He lowered his shoulder once more and placed a hand over the spade of his trusty shovel. The metal, which had been clean and well-oiled when they had entered the graveyard, was now crusted with bits of mud, grass, and pebbles. "_Well, the mourners are still morning, but my job is done. Let us be off now._"

"_Okay papa._" Finnian and Fionna were happy as they followed the Undertaker. With smiles on their faces and bunches of violets plucked from the earth of an old grave in hands, they followed him out the cemetery gates and back into the world of the living.


	4. Chapter 4

The Undertaker hummed a tuneless song as he poured fresh water into a small test-tube containing a single violet. The twins had just finished their lunch and had gone to lie down for their afternoon nap. He planned to take one himself as soon as he was finished with the flowers. Once the small, thin glass was filled to the brim with water, he went to the main room of his little business. He noted for the umpteenth time how clean everything seemed lately. The twins were very tidy little things, despite being so young. Perhaps it was because they wanted to help him so much, or they took their duties as his ' 'prentices' seriously as children take such small things. He honestly couldn't say which.

Just as he closed the door of his coffin (he had picked up the habit long ago of sleeping upright, and so was the coffin he always napped in), the bell over the door to his business tinkled eerily.

"Undertaker? Are you in?" The Undertaker cocked his head at the sound of the familiar voice, muffled by the coffin's wooden walls. "Undertaker?" He grinned as he pushed the coffin open a crack, allowing him to peek out at the man in his shop.

"I bid ye we~lcome Lord Phantomhive~" he greeted in a low, eerie warble. He pushed the coffin lid open all the way, allowing him to see the nobleman and the (understandably terrified) guests he had brought with him.

"Goodness gracious," a woman dressed in finery gasped as she clutched at her heart. "Must you do this every time we come here, Undertaker?! You're going to scare someone to death like that one of these days." The Undertaker grinned and stepped out of the coffin he had been planning on napping in. As the lord Phantomhive was about to speak, Undertaker held up a finger for silence.

"No need to say why you have come here, lord earl. I know the reason quite well." His grin now was laced with just a hint of his usual unsettling madness. "That 'client' of mine you wish to know about is still here. I'm just about done with him. Would you like to have a look at him?"

"As a matter of fact, I would," the lord Phantomhive agreed. Undertaker waved a hand towards the numerous coffins lying about the floor.

"Very well, but first thing's first. Have a seat and I'll put some tea together." With this, he disappeared into his little back room that contained his kitchen. When he came back with a serving tray of beakers filled with tea, the lord Phantomhive and his guests were already seated on different coffins about the room (excepting a maid whom the woman had brought with her, the maid was standing).

"So, Undertaker," Phantomhive said as he took his beaker, "about Duke Burns. I'd like to hear about him." Undertaker nodded, pulling a biscuit from his cookie jar.

"I expected as much." He munched on a dog biscuit as he went on. "I must say, he was pretty badly off when I received him, no wounds, though. Just a lot of mud and sewage. Looked like a simple case of over-drinking and suffocating from gutter gasses." Phantomhive narrowed his eyes, recognizing the tone in the Undertaker's voice.

"But you think it's something else." This was a statement, not a question.

"Perha~ps." The Undertaker continued to smile, his Cheshire cat grin giving nothing away.

"Is something wrong, m'lady?" the maid suddenly asked aloud. "You seem disturbed." The woman frowned, adjusting herself on her seat.

"No, it's just... Undertaker, is there anyone, you know, inside this coffin right now?"

"Not that I've put in there, no." The noblewoman smiled a bit nervously and waved a hand.

"Of course, of course. It's probably just my imagination. I mean, it's not like-" What it wasn't like, they didn't get to hear. At that moment, one of the two sides of the coffin lid was flung open, allowing two mussed blonde heads to pop out of it, rubbing their eyes sleepily. The woman, her maid, and the man that Phantomhive had brought with him all screamed in shock when the children popped out of the coffin. The loud, sudden noise startled them both into a sudden awakening. Their little heads swiveled back and forth quickly, eyes so wide and glassy from sleep they were almost doe-like.

"_Ah, so you both decided to nap in the main room today, eh?_" At the sound of their caretaker's voice, the twins calmed down a bit, though they were still confused by the frightened people staring at them (plus the maid on the floor, who had fainted out of pure shock). The only one of the guests who wasn't in any state of disarray was a proud-looking man in a (obviously expensive) suit and top hat.

"_Yes papa,_" the twins responded sleepily. The man in the suit looked towards the Undertaker with only the slightest rise in his right eyebrow.

"So the rumors are true then, Undertaker? You have taken on these children as your charges?"

"They're sort of apprentices of mine, more like." The twins climbed fully out of their napping place and closed it behind them. Then they made their way quickly over to the Undertaker (carefully stepping over the fallen maid), where they then proceeded to stand in front of him and face their guests. The Undertaker placed a hand on each of their heads as he introduced them. "Well, this one here is Finnian, and his sister here is Fionna." He switched languages for a moment so he could speak to the twins more easily. "_Say hello to our guests, now._"

"H-hello," Finnian said slowly. "It is... very nice...to...meet you?" Fionna nodded.

"Yes... very nice." The French accent was heavy in their speech, but their words were understandable at least.

"Are they French children, where did you find them?" the man next to Phantomhive asked.

"Around~" the Undertaker warbled vaguely. "I just happened to come across them, so I thought," he shrugged, "why not? Very useful little things they are, too." He patted them on the head, drawing bright smiles from them.

"Now, since the introductions seem to be done, Undertaker, could we continue with our business?"

"But of course, m'lord. Now, you know my usual price for information, of course, Earl Phantomhive." The earl nodded that he did, but the Undertaker grinned and freely waved a hand at him. "Well, that won't be necessary today, I think. I think your companions' reactions to my little helpers was more than enough payment for this time around. Come come." He motioned for them to follow him to the back of the room, where a form under a white sheet lay on a table. He pulled back the sheet to about mid-stomach and left it there. The man's eyes were open and staring at the ceiling, plump face and body limp and still.

"Revolting," the woman sneered with evident disgust. She flanced at Finnian and Fionn a for a moment, an saw them standing on a stool and peering over the table at the body. "Undertaker, should those two really be here while the body is uncovered?" The Underaker waved away her concerns off-handedly.

"Oh, they're used to it. They watch me as I do my work all the time." He motioned over the dead duke's face and neck, tips of his black nails barely grazing the cold flesh. "Now, if you would look closely at his face."

"Thought I'd much rather not," the man with Phantomhive said to no one.

"Pay attention to the swelling of the flesh, very advanced, yet workable. However, not like the face of one who had inhaled sewer gasses. Not at all."

"_Papa,_" Fionna said suddenly, "_what's wrong with his eye?_" She pointed at the organ in question, which was indeed a bit larger and shinier than it should have been.

"What's the child saying, Undertaker?" The woman asked. Undertaker waved off the question with a hand.

"Oh, she was just asking why his eye looks funny." He tapped the eye with the nail of his forefinger, producing a light 'clink'ing sound. "He's just got a glass eye." He repeated this information for the children, who began staring at the eye with great interest. "Hardly see any like that in my shop," he said to the adults. "Seems he lost it to a duel in his younger days. Look," he reached out and took it between his fingers. "If I just give it a little tug..." He applied a bit of pressure and the sphere came free of the eye socket, "it just pops right out of the skull~"

"Dear Lord, Undertaker!" The woman cried out (her maid had only just been recovering, but fainted dead away once more when she saw the eyeball between the Undertaker's fingers). "Think of the children for goodness' sakes!" However, the children didn't seem too bothered by the sight. On the contrary, they soon began giggling cheerfully and reaching out their hands for the interesting object. Undertaker grinned and placed it into Finnian's hand.

"_There now, you two can go amuse yourselves with that while the grown-ups speak. Go on now._" With a pat on the head, they went off to a corner of the room to examine the strange, interesting treasure. The woman gave the Undertaker a revolted look.

"I worry about those two if that's the way you care for them." Phantomhive had been mostly silent this whole time, only occasionally muttering under his breath and rubbing his own chin thoughtfully. Finally, he looked away from the body and placed both hands on his decorative cane.

"I think I've seen all I need to here," he said with a light smile on his lips. "Thank you once more for your assistance, Undertaker." Almost as if in afterthought, he added, "did you receive my invitation for billards at my manor this upcoming month?"

"But of course," the Undertaker grinned as he covered his 'client' and reached for his biscuit jar. "I shall see if I can't stop by." Phantomhive tipped the brim of his hat and went for the door after his companions (the maid had been brought out of her second fainting spell and was bustling out the door right on the heels of her mistress).

"Very well, I hope to see you there." He paused in the doorway and turned back. "Oh yes, one more thing." He looked towards the twins in the corner, still examining the glass body part with earnest. They looked up as they felt the earl's gaze on them. The Lord Phanthomhive tipped his hat once more and said, "_take care of yourselves, children. Be good._" The twins wide eyes stared at him for a moment, but their faces then broke into smiles and they waved cheerfully.

"_Goodbye sir!_" they chorused enthusiastically. With one more smile, the earl closed the door and left the Undertaker's shop.


	5. Chapter 5

Finnian scratched his head, then looked at Fionna. They met each other's gaze before looking back down at the object of their concentration. The Undertaker stood off to the side and patiently waited, threaded needle between his forefinger and thumb as he waited for their answer. Finally, Finnian pointed a finger downwards as he listed off the names of the objects before them.

"Heart. Liver. Lungs. Kidneys. Stomach. Intestines." Their caretaker nodded, grinning.

"All correct, plus in perfect English. Well done," he praised. The two giggled, pleased that they had named all of the organs correctly. As a rewards, they each received one sweet, which they started on in earnest. "Now, you two enjoy those while I finish my work." They obeyed and hopped off the stool, allowing the Undertaker to begin closing up the torso of his latest 'client'.

"_Papa_." He looked up when his name was called, even though he was halfway through a stitch. He caught a glance of Fionna holding up a wooden ball, worn smooth from constant play. "_We're going outside to play for a bit._" He nodded and waved them off with a hand.

"Very well, go on, then. I'm almost done here." The twins had learened enough English by this point to understand when he used it most of the time, though they still had trouble speaking it themselves. With the okay, the two bolted out the door, eager to play.

After a short while, the Undertaker had completed his task. He broke the thread and covered up the man on the table, since all of his innards were no longer in any danger of spilling out. Once he had everything clean and neat, he stepped out his front door and looked about. On the sidewalk, he spotted his wards; two children dressed in black, with faces like springtime fairies, tossing a ball between themselves. With not much to occupy him, he began rearranging the display coffins propped up against the front wall of his business.

As Finnian and Fionna enjoyed themselves, they were smiling brightly. Occasionally, one of them would allow a small giggle to escape their mouths. The passers-by would turn their heads to look at them for a moment when they caught a glance of the sight, some paused for a second. Neither of the twins noticed, though. Then, one of them made a mistake in a toss, and instead of landing in the outstretched hands of the other sibling, it bounced and rolled off the sidewalk and into the road. Seeing their toy escaping them, they ran after it without a thought. Just as they caught up with it and had scooped it up, someone yelled out.

"Hey! You kids get out of the road!" They looked up, only to see a carriage heading right at them. Frozen by fear, the only thing they could do was stare like frightened rabbits. At the last moment, they clutched each other and cried out. The front horses' hooves were just about to descend upon them.

Then, it was all gone. They were still clutching one another, eyes closes, they could hear the horses, but at a distance. Their eyes opened, and they found themselves in the shadow of a familiar black cloak, on the other side of the street. The carriage had skidded to a halt as the driver stopped the horses. He had clambered down from his seat and was looking to and fro for the children he was afraid that he had hit.

"Driver! What's all that commotion out there?!" This came from within the carriage, most likely the rich man who had been enjoying his ride until his sudden halt.

"There were two children in the road, sir! I wanted to see if they were alright!"

"Well, are they?" The voice questioned testily.

"No, they disappeared. Might have run off at the last moment!"

"Well why are we still sitting here, then?! Get a move on!" The driver scurried back up into his heat and whipped the horses, sending them back on their way. Though, he still looked back over his shoulder, trying to see if those two children had really been there. As the horses, pulled the carriage out of sight, the twins each felt a hand being placed on their heads.

"You two ought to be more careful," their caretaker chided brightly, "or else it might be you both I'm putting in a coffin." The two glanced at each other, then giggled as if they found something funny.

"_But papa_," Fionna said through her laughter," _we go into a coffin to sleep all the time._" The Undertaker chuckled and began leading them back to their humble abode.

"Indeed you do," he chuckled. "Indeed you do."

–

The London night was dark and chilly, rain threatening to pour down from the dark clouds. The windows of all the shops were dark, most all the shopkeepers having left much earlier. From an alley, two shadows in the shapes of men scurried out and stopped under the overhang of the nearest building, letting the shadows cloak them once more.

"Oy, yew got the lock-pockin' tools?" One of them whispered huskily to his partner.

"O' course I do! I'm not an idiot." This man pulled a set of lockpicking tools from under his long-cloat and inserted them into the keyhole while his partner stepped behind him to hide the work. Eventually, the efforts were rewarded with the quiet 'click' of the door unlocking.

"'S open," lockpicker whispered to his partner. The other man pulled a small container from his pocket and silently rubbed oil onto the door's hinges. Once they were thoroughly slick, they pushed open the door slowly. The bell tinkled for a split second, but was stopped when one of them men quickly grabbed it. They both froze, listening for a sign that someone had heard, and only relaxed when they heard none.

"Yew sure we should do this? I mean, what if we get caught in here?" the man with the oil can asked quietly. His partner with the lockpick glared at him in the dark.

"Wha'? Yew chickenin' out on me now?"

"No! I'm ready to do this, but can we just find the broad and get out of here, quick? I mean, the Undertaker's shop is eerie-lookin' enough in the day." Lockpick nodded and silently patted his friend on the back.

"'Course. Now come on, that rich broad is supposed t' be buried tomorrow, and I'll bet anythin' we could snatch up those pearls she's gonna' be buried with. Right pretty things, they is. 'T'd be a shame to let 'em go t' waste like that." He jabbed a finger at the oblong boxes before them. "Now let's get to searchin'." The duo of thieves began going around and carefully lifting the coffin lids. They were new and the hinges well-oiled, so there was no fear of any creaking as they opened. Finally, Lockpick lifted up the lid of an intricate pine coffin and grinned.

"Oy! I found 'er," he whispered. Oiled looked up and rushed over to him. His foot caught against the corner of one of the coffins, but luckily his friend was able to jump up and cover his mouth just in time to stop him from crying out. The pair froze, listening, then sighed with relief when they decided no one had heard the noise. "Yew idiot! Watch where yer puttin' those fat lumps you call feet!"

"Sorry," Oiler whispered sheepishly. Lockpick waved his hand impatiently.

"Never mind that, we've found 'er." The two looked into the coffin together. The dead woman within was dressed in an all-white dress, her fine pearl headdress and necklace draped over her pale skin and ivory hair. After a moment, Lockpick jabbed his partner in the arm with an elbow.

"Well, go on then, get it." Oiler shook his head furiously.

"No way! I'm not touchin' 'er!" Lockpick crossed his arms and put on a reasonable face.

"Hey, look now, I'm the one 'oo found 'er, it's only fair if you get the pearls. That way it's an equal effort, don't y' think?" Oiler shifted his eyes and wrung his hands.

"Well... I guess so..." Lockpick nodded and patted him chummily between the shoulder blades.

"See? There ye' go. Now ye' get on and do yer part. Jes grab 'em fast 'n it'll be like nuthin'." Oiler edged forward, his hands trembling as he held them over the corpse. Holding his breath, he quickly took hold of both sets of pearls and pulled them off of the dead woman. Lockpick took them from him and smirked as he stowed them in a hidden pocket of his coat. "See now, that wasn't too bad, wasn't it?" he asked as Oiler frantically wiped his hands on his clothes. "Nicely done, " he went on as he quietly shut the coffin lid again, "but I can't help but feel like we coulda' made more from this heist."

"Yew mean ye want to open up more of these coffins?" Oiler whispered. He looked pale and slightly sick at the thought.

"Naw, not that," Lockpick answered quietly. He seemed to ponder for a moment, then grinned and snapped his fingers. "Got it," he whispered. "Oy, din' we hear that the Un'rtaker took on a couple of brats as apprentices a while back?"

"Yeah, 'swot I 'eard. Why?"

"Well, what d'ye think 'e'd do t' get 'em back if they were to... disappear?"

"Well, I wonder that, too." Both men jumped and whipped around at the sound of the third voice. A figure clad in all black with long, silver hair was standing behind them, grinning eerily. "So, what are you fine gents up to around here? A bit of grave-robbing? Perhaps a touch of kidnapping on the side?"

He had begun walking forward bit by bit as he spoke. Both men backed away as he advanced on them. He was far taller than either of them, and, while he was smiling, a malicious sort of aura seemed to radiate off of him.

"You know, normally I find you humans very amusing. Always entertaining and good for a laugh. However..." he moved his long bangs away from his face, revealing a heavily stitched face and a pair of glowing, gold-ringed green eyes, "at times like this, I'd just like to chop them into itty-bitty pieces. Something long and made of metal emerged from under the Undertaker's cloak. The side of it was so bright that both of the men could see their reflections in it.

Neither of them even had time to take in the breath to scream.


	6. Chapter 6

"Come along you two, it's time we be off," the Undertaker beckoned.

"_Coming, Papa!_" The twins called back. In a moment, Finnian and Fionna were out the door, standing at the ready in front of their caretaker. The door was closed behind them and they waited patiently as the Undertaker produced a large metal key from his pocket. He locked the front door and quickly tucked said key back into his pocket.

"Alrighty then, all ready to go." Finnian and Fionna excitedly followed him up to the door of the carriage that had arrived for them not too long ago. Their caretaker paused near the steps leading up to the carriage door, holding out his hands to help them up.

"_It's okay, Papa. We can do it ourselves,_" Finnian assured him. With awkward motions, he hoisted himself up the steps, then held out his hands to help his sister up after him. She took both of his hands and pushed as hard as she could to force herself up. She almost slipped on her long,dark shroud, thickened against the bitter January chill, but caught herself and made it up with her brother's help. After the Undertaker made his way easily up the steps, the driver cracked his whip and set the horses off at a leisurely trot.

The twins looked around the carriage's inside, eyes flitting curiously from one place to the next. The Undertaker chuckled at the sight of them. Their hands were connected by both of them grasping an arm of a stuffed toy rabbit. The plush object had been given to them the month before as a Christmas gift from their caretaker. They had begun carrying it everywhere they went ever since. The creature was made of soft, black fabric, its' body held together by numerous white stitches. Many would have found this kind of creature a bit creepy, but the twins loved it with all the love two children could give to a toy.

"_This is so fun!_" Fionna said cheerily in French. "_Look at how fast we're going. It's so bumpy!_" Finnian looked at the Undertaker curiously.

"_So, papa, what's Phantomhive manor like?_" She asked the question because that was where they were going. The Undertaker had finally found some free time, so he had accepted an invitation from the Lord Phantomhive for a game of billiards. As it was the twins' first time there, they were curious as to what it was like.

"_Well, it's a very big place._" The children stared at him, curious ears open wide as their eyes, as they were eager to hear every word.

"_How big?_" Finnian asked. The Undertaker threw an arm out theatrically.

"Bigger than the church of the graveyard." The twins 'ooh'ed in excitement. They often accompanied the Undertaker to the church when he had to work, and it was by far the larges building they knew of. "There's also a big garden all around it, all sorts of flowers and trees and such. They've even got animals: dogs and horses and even rabbits." The twins giggled aloud with joy at the description, both squeezing their bunny by one of its' stuffy arms.

"_It sounds amazing, Papa,_" Finnian breathed in awe. The Undertaker glanced out the window, and his familiar grin formed on his face.

"Oh look, we're already here." The twins perked to attention and ran to the window. They pulled the curtains aside and gasped in amazement. The great, imposing Phantomhive manor faced their window as the carriage rounded a corner on the road. The great glass windows were like so many eyes staring out from over the top of the high brick wall.

"_Wow!_" they chorused. The Undertaker grinned as he twirled a long lock of silver-grey hair around his black fingernail.

"I told you, didn't I? It is a rather impressive place. A lot more fancy than my humble little shop." He giggled in his odd way as the twins pressed their faces against the glass. Soon, the carriage pulled up to the front steps of the enormous manor and slowed to a halt. The footman scurried forth to open the door and lower the steps. The twins clambered down first,clutching their bunny between them, and the Undertaker stepped down after. Fionna giggled and pointed something out to her brother, who seemed to see it as well, as he giggled in response.

"Come along you two, we've got to move on now." The two immediately obeyed and raced to catch up with their caretaker. They followed him up to the front steps and through the front double-doors. They didn't have time to stare around the massive place with awe as they scurried on to keep up with the Undertaker. An old man with a mostly-bald head stood at the door to a room, which the Undertaker headed straight for. The man bowed as they approached.

"Good evening to you, sir Undertaker. Would you care for me to take your coat?" The Undertaker waved off the offer.

"I think I'll keep it, actually, but thanks." A familiar man exited the room, nodding towards the old man. "Ah, a good evening to you, Lord Phantomhive." Phantomhive nodded in return.

"The same to you, Undertaker," he returned cordially.

"Good day sir." The earl glanced at the twins with a touch of surprise when they greeted him, as they had been taught.

"Ah, I see you've brought those children of yours with you," he stated. His eyes moved towards the room he had come from, where the sound of billiard balls clacking against one another could be heard. "It may not exactly be the best of ideas for them to join us in our little... get together, don't you think?" The Undertaker only shrugged in response, his trademark grin across his face.

"Honestly, they'd be fine wherever you put them. They'll do what you tell them, plus they mostly just play quietly whenever I see them at play, so they shouldn't be a bother." Phantomhive looked a bit incredulous nonetheless.

"Still, the rest of the company may not take so kindly to them... I know. How about they entertain themselves in my son's playroom? They could just stay there until our own game is done."

"Like I said, they won't be a bother no matter where you put them, but if that's what m'lord wishes." He turned and looked down at the twins, who, in return, stared up at him with expectant, twinkling eyes. He pointed a finger at them, just to make sure he had their full attention. "Listen here, you two. You both are going to go where Lord Phantomhive's servant takes you, and you'll behave yourselves until they bring you back to me. Okay?"

"Okay Papa," the twins chimed in answer.

"Right then, Tanaka," Lord Phantomhive addressed an old man who had been standing there as they spoke. "Take these two to my son's playroom, then call to one of the maids to keep an eye on them." The old man named Tanaka bowed.

"Of course, sir. Come along then, you two." He motioned for them to follow, and follow they did, swinging their patchwork bunny between them.

–

Finnian and Fionna looked around the room they sat in. It was larger than their little makeshift bedroom in the back room of the Undertaker's shop, though it was about as comfortable. The carpeted floor they sat upon was soft like the velvet on the inside of their sleeping coffin. The windows were clear and gave a spectacular view of the magnificent gardens outside. The most prominent piece in the room, a large wooden boy (most likely something like oak or mahogany, as they had begun to learn how to recognize wood from the coffins they were around every day), sat against a warmly painted wall.

However, as the two were unused to this kind of setting, they didn't really know what they were supposed to do. Since the old man had left them alone a few minutes ago, saying he would be back shortly, they had simply sat down and began playing quietly with their little bunny. They took turns making it hop about and nibble on the carpet (grass) and do other plush bunny things. As they were making their bunny wave one little stitched-up paw in the air, the doorknob clicked softly and they saw the door swing gently inwards. When the door was all the way open, the twins found themselves looking at a pretty woman holding something in her arms. She seemed surprised and a big confused as she laid her eyes on them, but understanding seemed to take their place and she smiled gently at them.

"Ah, you must be the children of one of my husband's associates," she seemed to say to herself. "Hello there, you two," she greeted softly as she moved herself to a chair near the door.

"Helo, Miss," they answered sweetly, bright smiled lighting up their little faces. The woman tilted her head slightly, a touch of curiosity in her eye.

"What are you two doing there?"

"Waiting," Fionna answered simply.

"The man who brought us here said he would be back soon," Finnian explained further. "We were just playing with Bunny until he came back."

"I see," the woman said sweetly. The twins looked at her curiously now.

"So, what are you doing here, Miss?" Finnian asked. "Are you waiting, too?" The woman shook her head and looked down at the bundle in her arms.

"Oh no. I just thought I'd bring my son here to play for a bit." She leaned down and held open the blanket, allowing the little baby who had been inside to crawl out.

"Oh~, he's your son? Finnian asked. Fionna smiled brightly as a happy little twinkle appeared in her eye.

"He's very cute," she cooed. The woman gave the twins a gentle look.

"Thank you," she said softly. "His name is Ciel." Little Ciel stared at the two new faces with large, blue eyes. His tiny hands precariously balanced him in a sitting position. His head of raven hair had a sort of bluish hue to it, and was combed neatly against his head. "Go on, Ciel," his mother prompted, "say hello to our guests." The little boy pulled himself onto his hands and knees, then crawled his way over to the twins. Both of them offered him a grin, which the bright-eyed little one returned, two-fold. Suddenly, the door opened again, and Tanaka stood in the doorway, a raven-haired woman in a maid's outfit behind him.

"Ah, Lady Phantomhive," he said, sounding startled. "I didn't know you were here." The woman, Lady Phantomhive, only smiled.

"I just came in a moment ago. I was just watching those adorable children who were already here. They belong to one of my husband's associates, I'd venture to guess.' Tanaka glanced over at the twins, who were just offering Ciel their Bunny to play with.

"Indeed. Would you like for me to move them to another room? If they're bothering you, that is."

"No, no, they're not a bother at all, Tanaka, they can stay," Lady Phantomhive assured him. "It's rare that Ciel has any playmates aside from Elizabeth, so it's actually quite nice that these two are here."

"Very well, m'lady," Tanaka said with a short bow. "I will leave Sandra here for you, then, just in case you need anything." The maid behind Tanaka curtsied quickly towards her mistress. With this all said and done, Tanaka left to attend to Lord Phantomhive and his guests.

The twins found that they had a fun time playing with little Ciel. The box they had seen earlier was opened, and they were soon playing with the various colorful toys within. Numerous block, wooden figures, and other such trinkets brought them enjoyment during the long hours they were there. Howeve, as time wore on and the sky began to darken, Lady Phantomhive and Ciel left for other things, leaving the twins alone with the maid. Eventually, even they began to run out of energy, and they fell asleep on the soft carpet, still holding Bunny between them. The maid couldn't help but smile tenderly as she glanced at them while tidying up the few toys that were scattered about.

"Pardon me." The maid stood as she heard the unfamiliar voice behind her. She turned and let out a cry of fright as she saw the tall man in black standing in the doorway. He silently raised a finger and touched it to his lips. "Shh, don't want to wake them, now do we?" The maid was mute with fright, so she couldn't answer. The Undertaker entered the room and swiftly scooped his charges into his arms. Finnian opened his eyes slightly and gave a little smile as he yawned.

"_Hello, Papa,_" he mumbled sleepily.

"_Hey there, little one. Time to go home now._" The little blonde yawned and snuggled up against his caretaker, one hand still over his sisters as they clutched their rabbit. The Undertaker nodded once at the still-frightened maid and grinned. "Have a pleasant eve," he chuckled simply. Then, he turned on his heel and left, heading for home with the little ones sound asleep in his arms.


	7. Chapter 7

The twins were as they usually were, grinning widely as they followed the Undertaker on the familiar yard to the graveyard. Ahead of them, the Undertaker took wide, slow strides to allow them to keep up with him. The familiar wink of his freshly-oiled spade occasionally flashed in the dull sun. Even with their guardian's purposefully slowed pace, the twins still occasionally found themselves taking a few running steps to keep up. They smiled as they came to the familiar gates of the cemetery. They almost skipped through the gates of their most favorite playground.

"You two can run along now," the Undertaker grinned. "I'll come looking for you once I'm done with my work. The children needed no second bidding and raced off among the gravestones. Finnian and Fionna happily went about their usual play, as they always did when they were in the cemetery. They played hide-and-go-seek among the towering headstones. They plucked and sniffed the flowers that grew in the soil above the coffins. They attempted to spell by copying words on the stones by scratching them into the dirt with sticks. They watched the ravens and crows flap around the graves.

All the pleasant, fun things they were used to.

After a while, though, they found themselves feeling hungry. This was no problem, however. They merely headed to a certain corner of the cemetery where they knew a large, old apple tree grew.

The tree was tall and knotted and looked so old one might have assumed that it was ancient. However, the twins knew that it still grew large, juicy apples among its' withering leaves. When the two came to stand at the foot of the tree, they began looking among the branches for an apple. However, their gazes were met without fruit.

"_I don't see any up there, sister,_" Finnian said sadly.

"_Did we eat them all?_" Fionna asked sadly. They began to pout, having been cheated out of the idea of a tasty snack. Suddenly, though, Fionna grabbed her brother's arm and pointed excitedly up into the tree. "_Wait! Look up there!_" Finnian followed his sister's finger and saw what she meant. Way up in the tree, among the very top branches, was a single, shiny, red apple. The fruit hung there enticingly, its' skin glinting in the sunlight. Grinning excitedly at one another, the twins began to ascend the tree. First, Finnian would boost Fionna up to a higher branch, and then she would lean down and pull him up after her. This was their usual method of climbing, and it had always worked before. Finally, after much effort, they finally reached the top branches.

"_We made it!_" Finnian cried in triumph. Fionna smiled and clapped with joy. Neither bothered to look down, so they had no idea how high they had actually climbed. They stared at the red fruit before them, little more than an arm's length away, just as far as the thinner end of the branch below it. It didn't take too much thinking to figure out what to do. Clasping hands tightly, Finnian held onto the tree trunk with one hand, with the other clasping Fionna's hand as she edged out over the branch. Fionna stretched out her free hand, reaching for that one fruit. Further. Further. A little further...

Finally, her hand closed around the apple and she pulled hard on it. The stem snapped cleanly from the branch, allowing Finnian to pull her back to the trunk. With triumphant grins, they made their way back down the tree. As they always did, they took turns taking bites of the apple, handing it back and forth to let each other eat. As they consumed their well-earned snack, they sat at the tall fence surrounding the cemetery and watched the people through the bars.

As they watched, many people walked by, going about their everyday lives. Men and women walked by on the paved walkways, carriages were pulled by horses trundling along the road. Suddenly, though, something caught their curious little eyes.

Across the street, in the shadows of an alley, a man in ragged clothes and holding a bottle in his hand collapsed. He laid there and didn't attempt to clumsily pick himself up off the ground. He was totally still. Then, someone else came out of the alley, from the shadows in the back. He was wearing a stiff, black suit, and had bright red hair. He pulled something out from behind him and stuck it into the man's chest. He stood still for a moment before pulling it back out and turning to go back into the alley.

However, he suddenly stopped before he completely disappeared into the shadows. He turned quickly, looking shocked when he saw the two curious children staring at him. With a start, he hurried back into the alley and vanished from sight.

"_Who was that?_" Finnian asked his sister. She shrugged as they stepped away from the fence.

"_I dunno,_" she answered simply. "_Do you know?_" Her brother shook his head in reply. After a moment of thinking, the two simply shrugged it off and ran off to continue their play. However, as they made their way around the bust of a dead widow, someone stepped out and blocked their path.

"Alright brats, how much did you see back there?" The twins halted mid-run and looked up at the one who stood in front of them. He was dressed in a sharp, black suit and gloves. He nudged a pair of glasses up the bridge of his nose with one hand as he used the other to brush away a strand of red, shoulder-length hair away from his face. Annoyed by their lack of response, as they only stared blankly up at him, he placed his hands on his hips in a very feminine fashion and leaned down so he was closer to their level. "Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"You have pretty eyes," Finnian said in his best English. This was true, the man's eyes were a very nice color. The irises were double ringed, with a circle of bright gold encasing a vivid green circle.

"Like Papa's eyes," Fionna agreed. She and her brother had seen their caretaker's eyes only a few times before, and only brief glances through his silvery hair. The red-haired man blushed lightly and waved a hand at them with a small, embarrassed smile.

"Oh, well, they're completely natural. I know that they _are_ very pretty. You really think they're- hey! Wait just a minute!" He returned to glaring at them and crossed his arms this time. "Okay, no trying to distract me! Now did you or did you not see me in that alley a moment ago?" The two stared at him blankly, then turned to each other.

"_He's funny, and he acts like a woman,_" Finnian giggled.

"_Yeah, I like him,_" Fionna agreed. The man dropped his glare when they began speaking in their native tongue. He slapped his palm against his forehead.

"Of course, the brats are French," he muttered under his breath. "They have to be able to speak a language I don't know. They probably just repeated what they said earlier from someone they heard. Just my luck. Probably haven't understood a word I've said."

"No, we can understand you," Fionna corrected him in English. He pulled his hand away from his face and blinked at them.

"You can?"

"Yup." The man crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well then, in that case, just listen here. I don't want you brats telling anyone you saw me, clear?" The children frustrated him even more when they responded only by blinking at him.

"What's a brat?" Fionna asked. The man grabbed at his hair and pulled on it out of frustration.

"That's not the point! Look, just don't tell anyone you saw me, or else!"

"Or else what?" Finnian asked innocently.

"Or else... or else this!" The man pulled something from beneath his suit jacket and pointed it at them. It was made of metal with multiple sharp bits all along the edge and looked quite menacing. "Say a word and I'll cut you both into little pieces!" However, even this had no effect on the children. They only looked at each other and giggled.

"Shiny," Finnian said with a smile. The red-haired man sighed and smacked a palm against his face.

"Okay, really, what is wrong with you two?! Aren't human children supposed to be easily scared?! Look at me! I'm threatening to slice you both to bits, and you hardly even blink!" He threw his hands into the air with frustration. "You know what?! Forget it! I'm not going to waste my time here trying to talk to two kids who don't know when they're being threatened! Just know that I'll...I'll... Something really bad will happen to you if you tell!"

"Tell what?" Fionna asked as she tilted her head. The man growled with frustration, then turned tail and stomped off, heels clacking as he did so. The twins stared after him until he disappeared around a mausoleum.

"_I liked him_," Finnian said finally.

"_Yeah, he was funny_," Fionna afreed. "_He acted sort of like a lady, though._" Quickly forgetting the incident, as children are apt to do, they scurried off among the graves to continue playing and wait for their papa to find them. They never needed to go looking for him. When he was done with his work, he would find them and bring them home, he always did.

"_Children!_" Surely enough, there he was, calling for them to come to him.

"_Papa!_" The two raced towards their caretaker with outstretched arms, and flung themselves at his legs, hugging him tightly. Once they detached themselves from him, they held hands as the skipped along behind him to head home.

"_So, did you two have fun today?_"

"_Yeah! We played around the graves, ate an apple, and watched the people_." Fionna grinned as she told him about their day. Finnian spoke up after her.

"_But there was this strange man we met. He was really funny and he looked kinda' like a lady._"

"_He said he was going to chop us to bits,_" Fionna added. The Undertaker twirled his spade a bit and grinned back at them.

"_Did he now? Well, don't you worry your little heads. Your papa won't let that happen._" He giggled a bit and faced front, leading them home.


End file.
